1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a temperature transducer, and more particularly to a temperature measurement and control system which provides an output which is directly proportional to temperature in the degrees Kelvin.
2. Prior Art
Electrical temperature sensors which are presently available either cannot be or are difficult of being incorporated into a monolithic circuit with appropriate supply and output circuits to form a unitary temperature transducer. The need for such a transducer can be readily appreciated when compared with existing temperature measurement and control systems. Such a transducer does not require wiring to remote locations for being supplied with regulated voltage or for amplifying, scaling, and performing other operations on its output before such an output can be utilized for measurement or control. Furthermore, power dissipation within such a transducer will be considerably lower than that encountered in comparable temperature transducers employing presently available temperature sensors.
The majority of the presently available temperature sensors cannot be easily implemented in measurement and control systems. Thermocouples have relatively low output signals which are difficult to amplify with stability. Furthermore, thermocouples require cold junction compensation. Resistance and thermistor sensors are nonlinear and excitation dependent. The major disadvantage of such sensors, however, is that their outputs are not directly related to any temperature scale.